Hereditary
Defects Advice - Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia
Hip Dysplasia (HD) is a
defect which
leads to the abnormal growth and development of the bones which make up
the hip
joint.
This can
lead to excessive wear
and tear, arthritis and - in the worst cases - lameness and problems in
movement.
Joint
development can be
influenced by genes, nutrition, exercise, growth rate and body weight. It
is not known exactly how great a role
genes play in the propagation of hip dysplasia, however it is thought
to be
significant, and the British Veterinary Association (BVA),
the Kennel Club (KC)
and the Border Collie Club of Great Britain (BCCGB) recommend that
breeding
from dogs with low hip scores (below the breed average) will help
reduce the
incidence of hip dysplasia in the breed.
If you wish to breed from your Border
Collie it is highly recommended that you get the dog’s hips
scored first.
Most
Veterinary Surgeons
will be able to take
an x-ray of the hips and submit them to the BVA for scoring. Your
dog must be at least 12 months old, and
will
need to be anaesthetised or sedated for the x-ray procedure. The
BVA will score the x-ray of the hips for
various structural differences from the ideal, and assign a score which
can
vary from 0 to 53 for each hip.
You will
receive the results in a few weeks. Hip
scores are usually presented as a score for each hip then a total - for
example
3:4 total 7.
A combined score for both hips of up to 4
represents perfect
or
near perfect hip joint structure. A
total score of between 5 and 10 denotes some borderline changes that
are
unlikely to worsen with age.
If the
total hip score is between 11 and 20 this indicates some mild changes
that may
worsen with age.
A score for
both hips
of 21 to 50 could be hips with moderate to marked hip dysplasia plus
some
osteoarthritic features, or it could be that the hips have severe hip
dysplasia
but there are no arthritic changes yet present. A
score of above 50 will signify the
dogs’ hips are severely affected by
osteoarthritis secondary to hip dysplasia (Ruth
Dennis: Interpretation
and
use of BVA/KC hip scores
in
dogs In
Practice 2012 34: 178-194).
All
the Border Collies scored through
the BVA/KC HD Scheme have their scores added to the database from which
the
Breed Average is calculated.
The current
Breed Average for Border Collies is very low (in comparison to other
breeds) at
a total of 13 for both hips.
The cost of having one
dog’s hip x-ray
scored with the BVA is set at £50.00 in 2012.
If
5 or more dogs from the same owner are
being scored, the cost goes
down to £45.00 per dog. If
hip and
elbow
x-rays are submitted from the same dog the charge from the BVA is
£90.00.
The costs
from your vet for
the x-ray procedure
will vary – so it may be an idea to ask around other breeders
or
exhibitors –
they may be able to advise you on the best places to go.
Some
vets specialise in taking x-rays for BVA
scoring and their costs can be considerably lower and the results may
be of a
better quality.
Elbow Dysplasia
Elbow Dysplasia (ED) is similar to HD
in that there is thought to be a strong genetic influence, although
other
factors such as diet and exercise can influence the outcome. As
with HD, the absence of lameness does not
necessarily mean the dog is free of problems, and the only way to
assess the
elbows with certainty is by x-ray. ED
is
scored on a scale from 0 (Normal) to 4 (severe) and a separate score is
assigned
for each elbow (unlike HD, the scores are not normally added together
for a
total).
Border Collies are not a breed thought
to be at risk, however the guidance from the BVA is that dogs should
only be
bred from which have Normal elbows, or minimal ED, in order to ensure
the lowest
risk for the progeny developing any problems.
The procedure and the prices are the
same as for HD, and there is a discount from the BVA on the price of
scoring if
both the hip and elbow x-rays are sent simultaneously.
.
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